Where Islam spreads, freedom dies

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, recently launched one of those daft consult-the-public websites politicians use to pretend they care what we really think. Billed the "Future Dialogue" about Germany, this one appears to be going slightly off the rails. On the website, users get to make suggestions about the future of Germany and others can vote on the proposals that have been made. So far, the most popular suggestion under the rubric of "How do we want to live together?" is one that demands "Open discussion about Islam".

The full text of the suggestion reads:

The topic of Islam is carefully avoided by politics and the media. Critics of Islam are at best ignored, but mostly slandered. Criticism of Islam is pathologised and criminalised. An issue-based debate about Islam must finally take place. In politics. In the media.